62 BORNEO— THE ORANG-UTAN. [chap iv. 



sexes, and of the adult and young animals. In all these 

 objects I succeeded beyond my expectations, and will now 

 give some account of my experience in hunting the Orang- 

 utan, or " Mias," as it is called by the natives ; and as this 

 name is short, and easily pronounced, I shall generally use 

 it in preference to Simia satyrus, or Orang-utan. 



Just a week after my arrival at the mines, I first saw 

 a Mias. I was out collecting insects, not more than a 

 quarter of a mile from the house, when I heard a rustling 

 in a tree near, and, looking up, saw a large red-haired 

 animal moving slowly along, hanging from the branches by 

 its arms. It passed on from tree to tree till it was lost in 

 the jungle, which was so swampy that I could not follow 

 it. This mode of progression was, however, very unusual, 

 and is more characteristic of the Hylobates than of the 

 Orang. I suppose there was some individual peculiarity in 

 this animal, or the nature of the trees just in this place 

 rendered it the most easy mode of progression. 



About a fortnight afterwards I heard that one was 

 feeding in a tree in the swamp just below the house, and, 

 taking my gun, was fortunate enough to find it in the same 

 place. As soon as I approached, it tried to conceal itselt 

 among the foliage ; but I got a shot at it, and the second 

 barrel caused it to fall down almost dead, the two balls 

 having entered the body. This was a male, about half- 

 grown, being scarcely three feet high. On April 26th, I 



